Keeping women on the map in the midst of a pandemic:

A chat with Larkin MacKenzie-Ast

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Larkin MacKenize-Ast, mom of two and chair of the Business Women’s Network for Coast Capital Savings. This year Coast Capital is launching the “Keep her on the map” campaign, to shed light on the disproportionate impacts the pandemic has had on women.

Did you know that at the start of the pandemic, women aged 25 to 54 lost more jobs than men and lost six times more work hours each week to family responsibilities? Women, and especially mothers, have really taken the brunt when it comes to the impacts of the pandemic. Lost businesses, lost opportunities, lost hours, lost income. These impacts could set women back half a decade, undoing so much of the work that has been done in the space of gender equity.

But, more than just shedding light, the campaign strives to rally support for female-led businesses and provide resources for all women who have felt the impact of COVID-19. The campaign and its website feature some awesome women-led businesses, and resources for business owners, entrepreneurs, and job seekers.

It’s an awesome chat about an important subject, and I’m proud to be partnering with Coast Capital Savings to raise awareness.

Larkin’s bio:

Larkin MacKenzie-Ast is the Chair of the Business Women’s Network at Coast Capital Savings, and in her day job she is the Director of Business Integration and Loyalty, Credit Cards. Before joining Coast, she was the Executive Director of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, a national charity focused on education and mentorship for women business owners. Prior to that, Larkin was a Senior HR Business Partner at Canfor, and before that she was the Manager of the Board Resourcing and Development Office for the Province of BC. Passionate about board governance, she is the Vice Chair of the HR MacMillan Space Centre, and member of the New Ventures BC Boards of Directors. In her spare time, Larkin is an avid skier (snow and water), runner, traveler, reader, and wine sipper.

Find out more about Keep Her on the Map: